Terminally ill Kirkby dad needs YOUR help to see his daughter one last time

Katie Butler

A terminally ill Kirkby dad is trying to raise enough money to see his daughter in America one last time before he dies.

Dave Donovan (45) was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer ten years ago and now doctors say they are unsure how long left he has to live.

Dave Donovan, with daughter Bethany and wife Kerry, at their Kirkby in Ashfield home.

The dad-of-three of Primrose Close, Kirkby, is desperate to see his 28-year-old daughter Charleen and grandson - who now live in America.

She moved with her husband who works for British Embassy but was posted out to Washington DC. Her partner recently broke his leg and needs surgery so the pair are not able fly back home.

Loving wife Kerry Louise Donovan hopes they can be reunited one last time - but insurance alone for Dave costs £2,700. So the family are appealing for the community to help their dream come true.

She said: “It would mean the world to Dave and us all to be able to go to America. He misses them terribly

“He really wants to be able to see his daughter and grandson, possibly for the last time. It will also give him a break, as he has been so strong the last decade but it is really starting to takes it toll on him now.”

He was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer in 2005 and had to leave his job in the Army Air corps after 22 years.

The rare disease means tumours are regularly deposited all over his body. He currently has tumours in his liver, lung, stomach lining, bowel, spleen and spine.

Treatment is only available three places in the world, London, Belgium and Frankfurt.

He has to have nuclear targeted radiotherapy every three months.

Dave said: “We don’t know if the treatment is working and how long left I have got to live. Doctors said I’ve got 12 months and we are already three months into that. We just don’t know, but it would mean so much to us if we can get to America.”

Kerry added: “He has lost a lot of weight on this treatment so doctor’s aren’t sure whether to continue. The treatment is only to buy his a little extra time, as sadly the cancer isn’t curable. He just amazes me, he is such a strong man but I know he is starting to struggle.”

With continued treatment he may have one year left to live, but it is unsure how much time he has without it.

Kerry had to give up work as a senior care co-ordinator to care for Dave full-time. She added: “We moved house last year to a smaller property to save money on our mortgage which back fired on us, because once we moved in we discovered quite a few problems which has taken up all of our savings. Because Dave is now terminally ill the insurance alone is £2700. It was starting to look like we weren’t going to get there. Then a good friend set up a page to get help. At first it really tugged on our pride but as time went on we realised that there are some lovely people out there who do want to help to get Dave to Washington. I just want to be able to make family memories to last a lifetime.”

They hope to fly him first class so he is comfortable for the ten-hour journey.

The family are hoping to raise £3,000 to enable Dave, Kerry and 12-year-old daughter Bethany to America.

Visit http://gogetfunding.com/project/fly-dave-to-washington to help get Dave to visit his daughter.

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